Syrian rights groups said government troops killed at least 41 civilians Tuesday throughout Syria, including 20 in an assault on the central town of Helfaya, near the protest hub of Hama. The assault came as the United Nations human rights chief called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.

Witnesses in the Baba Amr district of Homs said an intense barrage of artillery shells rained down on the area Tuesday in the 25th day of attacks.

Opposition sources in the besieged city told Reuters that tanks from the Syrian army's elite Fourth Division, controlled by Mr. Assad's brother, Maher, had moved onto the streets.

Syrian army defectors smuggled wounded British photographer Paul Conroy out of Homs to safety in neighboring Lebanon. Conroy's father said his wife had spoken with their son and described him as being in "good spirits."

French sources told pan-Arab television that wounded journalist Edith Bouvier was also taken to Beirut. The two were hurt last week during an attack that killed Sunday Times correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

In Geneva, rights chief Navi Pillay told the U.N. Human Rights Council that the international community must take action to prevent Syrian troops from continuing to assault civilians, which she said has resulted in "countless atrocities." She urged Syria to end all fighting, allow international monitors into the country and grant access to aid agencies in Homs and other embattled cities.

Opposition videos showed government tanks and artillery attacking the town of Helfaya, near Syria's fourth largest city of Hama, north of Homs. An opposition activist inside Helfaya, speaking on Al-Jazeera TV, implored the outside world to help stop the offensive, urging them “to please not leave us to die.”

Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad of the opposition Free Syrian Army, who is based in Turkey, urged the outside world to help arm the rebel forces fighting against Syria's government. Opposition leader Haitham al-Maleh said Monday that he was forming a new wing of the opposition Syrian National Council in order to help arm the Free Syrian Army.

Khattar Abou Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, said Saudi Arabia is also trying to convince the West to help arm the rebels.

He said the Saudis are criticizing what they call "weak" and "hypocritical" attitudes from the international community. He said the Saudis are angry with Russia and China for vetoing action in the U.N. Security Council that would have increased pressure on the Syrian government. He said the Saudis too are irritated with the West for not doing more to end the violence.

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

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At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

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American warplanes joined Iraq's battle against the so-called 'Islamic State' in northern Iraq late Wednesday, as Iraqi ground troops launched a massive assault on Tikrit. Analysts say the offensive could take the coalition a step further towards Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State forces. Others say it could also deepen already-dangerous sectarian tensions in the region. VOA's Heather Murdock has more from Cairo.

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Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured by the country’s tropical beaches. But Jason Strother reports from Manila that the country hopes to entice more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

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The continued fighting in eastern Ukraine and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the separatist fighters. Many of the new recruits are residents of Ukraine made bitter by new grievances, as well as old. VOA's Patrick Wells reports.

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Islamic State fighter, a prisoner of Kurdish YPG forces, asked his family asking for forgiveness: "I destroyed myself and I destroyed them along with me." The Syrian youth was one of two detainees who spoke to VOA’s Kurdish Service about the path they chose; their names have been changed and identifying details obscured. VOA's Zana Omer reports.

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More is being discovered about the co-pilot in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps. Investigators say he was hiding a medical condition, raising questions about the mental qualifications of pilots. VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports.

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In cities with heavily congested traffic, people can get around much faster on a motorcycle than in a car. But a rider who is not sure of his route may have to stop to look at the map or consult a GPS. A Russian start-up company is working to make navigation easier for motorcyclists. Designers at Moscow-based LiveMap are developing a smart helmet with a built-in navigation system, head-mounted display and voice recognition. Zlatica Hoke has more.

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U.S. federal law enforcement agents arrested two suburban Chicago men accused of trying to join ISIS overseas, while also plotting attacks in the United States. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, one of those arrested is a soldier of the Illinois National Guard.

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Traditional push-rim wheelchairs create a lot of stress for arm, shoulder and neck muscles and joints. A redesigned chair, based on readily available bicycle technology, radically increases mobility while reducing the physical effort. VOA’s George Putic reports.

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Beatrice Yardolo was to make history as Liberia’s last Ebola patient. Liberians recently started counting down 42 days, the period that has to go by without a single new infection until the World Health Organization can declare a country Ebola-free. That countdown stopped on March 20 when there was another new case of Ebola, making Yardolo’s story a reminder that Ebola is far from over. Benno Muchler reports from Monrovia.

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Indigenous communities in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province say the government’s economic land concession policy is taking away their land and traditional way of life, making many fear that their identity will soon be lost. Local authorities, though, have denied this is the case. VOA's Say Mony went to investigate and filed this report, narrated by Colin Lovett.

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One of the films that drew big crowds last week at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tells the story of the last human being to stand on the moon, U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan. It has been 42 years since Cernan returned from the moon and he laments that no one else has gone there since. VOA’s Greg Flakus reports.